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Jason Schulte

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Jason Schulte is a reporter for the New Richmond News since February 2015. Prior to that he spent eight years at the Pierce County Herald in Ellsworth. His duties with the News will include covering news out of Hammond and Roberts along with action from St. Croix County court system. He lives in Roberts with his wife and two daughters.

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(715) 243-7767 x243

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Jonathan Nitchals' past and present were heavily discussed Friday during a sentencing hearing in Pierce County Circuit Court. "He has no high school diploma, he's been truant and has no employment history," said Pierce County District Attorney John O'Boyle. "To be frank, he has nothing going for him at age 22. It's not a shock he's committed multiple felonies." Nitchals has been incarcerated in Pepin County Jail for about a year on multiple charges. During that time, his present was discussed. "Jon has become a different person," said Larry Sann, who handles jail ministry for Pepin County.

About 18 months ago, Keith Franke got a tour of the closed Virginian Supper Club and was hooked. "I loved its size," he explained. "It was bigger than the other places I had. "And I liked the area. It had a small-town feel to everything. I wanted a place where I could get to know the customers and not make it a big-brand, big-box restaurant." The end result is the Virginian is now Franke's Big River Sports Bar and Grill, located on Hwy. 10 between Ellsworth and Prescott. It opened to the public early last month.

ELMWOOD -- Two Pierce County schools, Elmwood and Plum City, have been holding homecoming festivities this week, culminating in the football game, each set for Friday night. Elmwood (4-1 overall) will host Cornell (1-4), while the Blue Devils (5-0) will entertain New Auburn (1-3). Elmwood's game is scheduled for 7 p.m., while Plum City's game starts at 7:30 p.m. Elmwood The Raiders have planned a dress-up theme for each day of the week. Wednesday is Disney Movie Character Day, while Thursday is Hawaiian Day. A pep fest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Diana Alfuth put it rather bluntly when describing the front of the Pierce County Office Building. "It wasn't attractive," she said. "It didn't look good ... The public perception was that it needed to be spruced up." Alfuth said discussion on this topic has been ranging for years, but nothing resulted from it. That is until last week, when Alfuth, the county's Master Gardner and Horticulture Educator, received assistance from six other master gardeners and numerous volunteers in completing the landscaping project.

Call it mother's intuition or a gut feeling, but Julie Carlson knew something wasn't right with her four-year-old son Jacob. Jacob had a couple restless nights last February so Julie and husband Mike took him to urgent care. The diagnosis was an ear infection. He was given antibiotics for 10 days, but two days after the prescription ended, the same symptoms of fevers, crying, irritability and loss of appetite reappeared. A broader antibiotic for another 10 days was prescribed.

PRESCOTT - How many 78-year-olds would spend their birthday at a bar dancing to rock and roll music ? That's how Lorraine Eichman celebrated her most recent birthday. "The Twerps (a country/rock band) were playing at the Pilot House in Prescott at 10 p.m.," the longtime Prescott resident explained. "So, I went to bed at 4 p.m., woke up and danced to rock-and-roll from 10-12 p.m. "I had a good time." That doesn't surprise her friends. "She loves to be out there and make people laugh," said fellow Prescott resident Kris Sampson. Sampson has known Eichman nearly 30 years.

PLUM CITY - Kandy Harvey credits her friends and family for being a "great support system" as she battled ovarian cancer over the last 12 years. This Saturday, they will throw their support behind her again as they host a benefit at the Elmwood Rod and Gun Club, starting at 2 p.m. "I can't tell you how much (husband) Jim and I appreciate this," Harvey said. "Our friends and family have gone above and beyond. "They've spent a lot of work and time on this. We are grateful." Harvey was born and raised in Spring Valley.

Heather McCarthy became a familiar face to the residents of Ellsworth when she spent about a year as the manager of the Holiday Station Store here. After a few months off, her face will become familiar again at the Pierce County Herald office.

Two Pierce County high schools, Ellsworth and Prescott, will hold Homecoming this week with the culmination being the football games, each set for Friday night. Ellsworth will be looking for its first win of the year when the team takes on Amery (2-2 overall). Meanwhile Prescott (3-1) will host Somerset (1-3). Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Ellsworth Ellsworth held its coronation Monday morning with Josh Miska and Brittney Boe taking honors.

One morning early last week, a hunter was scouring land in the Town of Salem for ginseng. He didn't find any, but he did find another kind of plant. It was the kind of plant most people would not want to find growing on their property. And it didn't stop there. He found another, and then another. Believing he came upon a marijuana ring, the hunter notified the Pierce County Sheriff's Department around 12:30 p.m. a week ago Monday. Investigators rushed to the site, two miles north of Hwy. 10 along the Rush River, or eight miles northwest of the Village of Plum City.